The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
December 15, 2019 - Volume 2 - ISSUE 15
Welcome to the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Newsletter! It is designed to keep everyone (parents, students, staff, and community members) informed of the many events that are happening in and around the school. It contains links, pictures, and videos so that you have a more interactive experience and the ability to learn more about various topics.
Communication is incredibly important to understanding so we ask that you share our news as much as possible. We also welcome feedback! It is the only way to continuously improve. So, please interact, get involved, and let us know what you think by contacting us and sharing our news!
Important Dates to Plan
December 20 – Alumni Day
December 23-January 1 – Holiday Recess
January 2 – Students Return from Holiday Recess
January 9 - College Admissions Seminar
January 15-21 - Semester 1 Mid-Year/Final Exams
January 20 - No School – Martin Luther King Day
January 21 - Quarter 2/Semester 1 Ends
January 22 - Quarter 3/Semester 2 Begins
January 23 - Combined Honor Society Induction 6:30PM in Performing Arts Center
January 24 - Early Release – District Grading Day
January 29 - Semester 1 Report Cards available n Parent Portal
February 5-6 - MCAS Biology Retest
February 7 - Early Release – District Professional Development
February 13 - HS Delayed Opening
February 13 - Panther Praise 8:15AM in Performing Arts Center
February 17-21 - No School - Winter Break
March 2 & 4-5 - MCAS ELA Retest
March 3 - No School for Students – Presidential Primary Election
March 5 - HS Delayed Opening
March 6 & 9 - MCAS Math Retest
March 17 - Shakespeare & Company Grade 12 students
March 18 - Naviance Night 6:30PM in Room 159 & 161
March 19 - HS Delayed Opening
March 23 - Spellman Contest 6:30PM in Performing Arts Center
March 24-25 - MCAS ELA Grade 10 Students
March 27 - District Early Release – Professional Development
March 27 - Junior Prom – Canoe Club 7-10PM
Time to get your yearbook!
$85
Prices go up on Dec. 21, 2019
Go to https://whpanthers.wixsite.com/yearbook for all your WH Yearbook needs.
Knitting for a Cause!
Last week, Mrs. Sears brought 29 hand-knit hats and 6 hand-knit scarves to the MainSpring/Father Bills Shelter (distribution center) in Brockton from the "Knitting for A Cause" group. Lydia Nelson, Cathy Brunelle, Kelly Tanis, Pam Nawrocki and Virginia provided their skills to make these items. Knitting for a Cause meets Monday's after school in room 119 until 3 pm. Show up and lend some help to these wonderful individuals and a very worthy cause!
2019-2020 SEPAC meetings
All meetings held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm
in the Whitman Hanson Regional High School library
Please check out our website for more information
January 14th –Anxiety Presentation Part 1 - Students (7-8pm Middle & High School)
February 11th – Anxiety Presentation Part 2 - Parents (7-8pm Middle & High School)
March 10th – BCBA Presentation (focus topic TBD) (7-8pm Middle & High School)
April 14th – Occupational Therapy Presentation
May 12th – Speech and Language Presentations on Language Pragmatics (meeting will be held in WHRHS Courtyard Café due to Arts in Bloom being held in the WHRHS library) (7-8pm Middle & High School)
Dr. Christopher Jones
3 Ways to Make an Idea Successful!
We all have ideas and some of those ideas even become goals. But what gets them all the way to actual success? The obvious answer is action. In this video I offer three ways to make it work for you.
Do Something Now:
Take the first step no matter how small it seems. The longer a person waits or procrastinates, the less chance they ever have of starting. How many people do you know that start thinking about their New Year’s resolution in December and then wait until January 1st to start; only to stop in February? That’s why small, consistent steps are more successful than grand gestures.
Schedule to Keep Consistency:
Whatever it takes, find a way to schedule and check yourself for consistency. Maybe a paper planner, sticky notes on your desk, or an electronic app works for you. We are all individuals so you cannot follow others on this one. Any accountability system only works as well as you use it. That’s why you need support.
Get an Accountability Group:
Find a group of people who will call you out when you are not acting in accordance with your stated beliefs, values, or goals. Some people may consider themselves your good friends if they keep you feeling good by never questioning your actions or progress. In reality, they are letting you down. Find and hang out with a group of people that will keep you on track when you stray. It may ruffle your feathers a little when they do it, but their value and caring will be immeasurable when you have successfully reached your goals by turning your ideas into action.
Take the challenge and share with me what happened. I would love to hear your results!
Our Story...
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
Mr. David Floeck
High School Dismissal
Dismissal time at the high school is a very busy time and we want to insure the safety of everyone in the parking lot.
If you are picking up your child after school, please be reminded that any parking or idling in the fire lanes is strictly prohibited. We have noticed that vehicles are parking/waiting on both sides of the parking lot loop causing some real safety concerns. When vehicles are parked on both sides of the loop it is very difficult for vehicles to pass through and it also blocks the vision of drivers; which creates a real safety concern for our students who are walking through the parking lot.
We ask that everyone please take great care when picking up your child and please do not park or idle in the fire lanes. All vehicles should yield to the school buses and leave the driveways open so they may exit the campus safely and in a timely manner. Thank you for helping to maintain a safe and orderly dismissal process for our students.
Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
College Admissions Seminar
Please join us for Whitman-Hanson’s annual College Admissions Seminar that will be held on Thursday, January 9th at 6:30 p.m. This program will be an informative and interesting evening with presentations by college admissions professionals. Representatives from Harvard University, Boston College, The University of Massachusetts - Boston, and Massasoit Community College are expected to participate. Topics to be covered include Opportunities at Two-Year Colleges, The College Search Process, The College Application Process, Selective College Admissions, and The College Essay. The program is open to all students; however we especially encourage sophomore and junior students and parents to attend the WHRHS College Admissions Seminar.
FAFSA Help
Any seniors/senior parents needing help completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) are encouraged to contact ASA (American Student Assistance), 231 Main Street, Suite R, Brockton. Call 508-586-3111 to make an appointment. Walk-in services are also available.
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Exam
All graduating seniors are eligible to compete for the ALF-CIO scholarship. To qualify, students must register on-line by December 20, 2019 at: www.massaflcio.org/scholarships . The exam will be administered at Whitman-Hanson on Wednesday, February 10, 2020. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must take the Labor History Exam. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO publishes a Labor History Study Guide, which covers a broad range of the history of working people organizing for justice in the United States. New for 2020, an interactive study website will be available, featuring supplemental materials and quizzes to test your knowledge.
Dual Enrollment - Introduction to Aviation and Aerospace- Cape Cod Community College (Plymouth Airport Location) will be offering the Introduction to Aviation and Aerospace course for Spring semester (Jan. 24 – May 15). The course will be held on Friday afternoons (3:30 – 6:00 p.m.) at the state-of-the-art CCCC hangar facility at the Plymouth Airport. While this course is available to all students, it provides a perfect opportunity for high school juniors or seniors to take an introductory course if they think they may be interested in pursuing a career in Aviation Maintenance Technology at CCCC or a career in Aviation at any institution. Through the S-STEM Scholars Program and the National Science Foundation*, grant money may be available for students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch and who are interested in pursuing STEM career fields (including Aviation). Interested students should complete the Dual Enrollment application found on the CCCC website here. The deadline to register is January 10. Questions can be directed to Sharon Boonstra at sboonstra@capecod.edu.
Dual Enrollment at Massasoit Community College – Spring and Summer 2020
There are two programs available to students through the Office of Early College Access—the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership program (CDEP) and the Massasoit Dual Enrollment Program (MDEP). Spring semester classes begin on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Massasoit Dual Enrollment is open to students age 16 and over. Massasoit will be accepting applications for Spring 2020 through Monday, December 23, 2019. Any student interested in Dual Enrollment studies at Massasoit for Spring 2020 must complete Accuplacer testing by December 16, 2020. Students interested in Summer 2020 Dual Enrollment at Massasoit should start the application process in March. Interested students should check their school emails for dual enrollment applications and info that was sent last week.
Project Contemporary Competitiveness – PCC
PCC is a 6 week (or students can opt for a new four week program) residential summer program held at Stonehill College. PCC applications are now available in the School Counseling Office, and any student currently in 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th grade may apply! Completed applications are due to the WH School Counseling Office on January 15, 2020 and should include a $25 deposit, completed PCC application and scholarship application. For more information about PCC, please check out their website at https://pccasp.org.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your school counselor.
Riley Conway!
Riley, one of Ms. Caruso and Ms. Flood’s students (sophomore) wrote the notes pictured below on a whiteboard in students' Strategies Class so her classmates could make a note-card for their quiz next week. She also gave her permission to take a picture and print it out for my other Strategies Class so they could better prepare for their quiz! I could not be more impressed with this wonderful young lady and her co-taught teaching team!! Talk about #WHPride! - Mrs. Catherine Bouzan
UPCOMING DATES
December 16th - Drama Club Auditions - Performing Arts Center, 2pm
December 18th - Hanson Middle School Concert
December 19th - Whitman Middle School Concert
December 20th - WHRHS School Concert
Show Choir/Pit Band
Congratulations on a job well done! The Show Choir/Pit Band performed this past Tuesday at the Holiday Concert. The audience got a sneak peak at what they have been working on these past few months. They will continue to work hard to prepare for their first competition in February 2020.
They also hosted their annual holiday pancake breakfast fundraiser this past Saturday.
We can't wait to perform at the middle schools this week, and for all our fellow Panthers during Friday's concert!
Chorus
Congratulations on a job well done! The Chorus performed this past Tuesday at the Holiday Concert. They also performed for a group of senior citizens.
We can't wait to perform at the middle schools this week, and for all our fellow Panthers during Friday's concert!
Band
Congratulations on a job well done! The Band performed this past Tuesday at the Holiday Concert. They also performed for a group of senior citizens.
We can't wait to perform at the middle schools this week, and for all our fellow Panthers during Friday's concert!
“Something Natural” A Capella Group
Congratulations on a job well done! “Something Natural” performed this past Tuesday at the Holiday Concert. They also performed for a group of senior citizens.
We can't wait to perform at the middle schools this week, and for all our fellow Panthers during Friday's concert!
Drama Club
Meetings are Fridays 2:00-3:00 and auditions for our first production are Dec 16th at 2:00pm.
If you have any interest in getting involved, please email Brookescriven@gmail.com
Mrs. Cathy Brunelle
Students and staff have recommended 36 books! Read one and tell us what you think today!
More help in the library:
Mrs. Margaret Baker & Mrs. Kathleen Joyce
~Panther Health Clinic~
The Mass. DPH requires the school to do the following health screenings each year:
- Height and Weight, including BMI –grade 10
- Scoliosis Screenings- grade 9
- Vision and Hearing –grade 10
- SBIRT Screenings- grades 9 and 10
Please contact the school RN if you DO NOT wish your child to participate in any of the health screenings in writing. Scoliosis screenings will begin the month of January.
Flu Information
Flu season has returned! Please Note: There were approximately 61,000 deaths during the 2018-2019 flu season- ( per Centers for Disease Control). It is not too late to receive your flu shot for yourself and /or your family! The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. Please contact your child’s physician to schedule a flu shot.
Many pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, and Duval’s offer flu shots. The vaccine is free with a copy of your child’s insurance card.
Remember- the flu can be deadly!
Medication during the School Day
Please refer to the student handbook or the Health Services website regarding medication to be administered by the school RN during the school day. All prescription medications must be in the original prescription bottle with a written MD order and signed parental consent form. These forms may be downloaded from the website. Students are NOT allowed to carry medication with them during the school day. Please call Ms. Baker at 781-618-7452 or Mrs. Joyce at 781-618-7430 for any questions regarding medication.
Please do not hesitate to call the clinic at any time with any questions/concerns concerning your child’s health- we are here to keep your child healthy!
Athletics - Coach Bob Rodgers
The winter sports season kicked off over the weekend with a lot of exciting action. A reminder that schedules are available at www.whathletics.com and on the MIAA App.
Ed Collins exploded for three first period goals to power the boys hockey team to a 5-3 win over Pembroke on Saturday night. John Hagan and John Ward also scored while Jack Allen and Chris Stoddard had 2 assists each. Bob Siders had 18 saves in net for WH. The team is off most of the week before returning to the ice on Saturday at Duxbury.
Whitman-Hanson Wrestlers traveled to Oliver Ames Saturday for the season opener tournament. Overall the Panthers wrestled very well. Taking home the Championship at 160 pounds was Senior Captain Steve Brooks with 4 Falls all in the first period for a cumulative total time of just 4:16. Placing 4th at 138 pounds was Junior Captain Damari Goldsmith Green. WH finished the day in 12 place out of 16 teams with 61 team points. Next up is Patriot League foe Silver Lake at WH on Wednesday December 18th at 6:30pm.
The girls hockey team had a tough task against a strong Canton team on Saturday and dropped a 5-0 decision. They are back in action Tuesday night in Billerica.
The Swim Teams opened the season with a sweep of Durfee, 93-81 on the girls side and 92-63 for the boys. Brian Pham had a big day coming in first in both 200 yard Free-Style with a time on 1:57:21 and 100 yard Free-Style with a time of 51:85 and assisted in both first place finishes in the 200 and 400 yard Free-Style Relay. In girls swimming Maddison Navicky came in first in both the 50 yard Free-Style with a time of 27:70 and 100 yard Back-stroke with a time of 1:22:44 and also assisted in first place in the 400 Free-Style relay. Mariella Crowley first time ever with swimming the 200 yard Medley with a time of 3:35 alone with swimming the 500 Free and assisting in the 400 Free-Style relay. Katelyn Sweeney first time in the 100 Yard Butterfly did an amazing job with the time of 1:54:41 and also assisted in the 200 medley relay, 200 Free relay, and 400 Free relay. Erin Tilley received her personal best time in the 100 yard Free-Style with the time of 1:24:05 along with assisting in the 200 Medley relay and the 400 Free-Style relay.
The girls basketball team was outlasted by Hingham on Friday night by a score of 51-37. Hingham came out of the gate red hot and went on a 9-0 run and forced Whitman Hanson to call a timeout. Whitman-Hanson fought its way back and cut the deficit to 3 (26-23) at halftime. Whitman-Hanson was paced by Erin Kelly and Reese Codero with 6 points each. Whitman-Hanson (0-1, 0-1) is back in action Tuesday night when they open up at home against Quincy.
The boys basketball team led most of the night against visiting Hingham but the Panthers let a double digit lead disappear as they dropped the opener 64-62. Junior Nate Amado powered the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds while fellow junior Cole Levangie added 13. The team travels to Quincy on Tuesday in Patriot League action.
Contact Us
Email: christopher.jones@whrsd.org
Website: https://www.whrsd.org/our-schools/whrhs
Location: 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 618-7020
Twitter: @DrCSJones